


Wan

by Kireizaki



Category: Rinne no Lagrange | Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne
Genre: F/F, Genderbending, Manga & Anime, Romance, Transformation, Transgender, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 04:56:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21069215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kireizaki/pseuds/Kireizaki
Summary: A boy desperate to break out of his sheltered life and live a bit more freely finds their wish unexpectedly granted, though it comes at the cost of many of their memories. When they're found wandering, completely alone and confused, they're taken in by a kind stranger who helps them truly begin to live.





	Wan

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally published on DeviantArt on February 4, 2018.
> 
> I'm slowly working through much of my library of work and getting them reposted on here until everything can be published on both sites concurrently. Please excuse any roughness in my writing, as I've developed a great deal since then!

“Right there, they’re wide open!”  
  
A boy with dark hair shouted on the beach below. The person next to him lept into the air, spiking the volleyball down between the girls on the other side of the net. The two of them flinched and giggled as sand sprayed into the air.  
  
Up above the beach, on a lonely little hill dotted by a large tree, Itaru sighed. A finger lazily kept his place in his textbook as he watched the game below. He envied them, being able to have a carefree day down in the sand while he was stuck reading stuffy textbooks. It was a miracle he got to be outside at all, really.  
  
On paper, at least, he understood why his family was so protective of him. He’d been a sickly child, frequently coming down with various maladies until his mother finally decided to have him homeschooled. Couple that with him being the only heir to fortune his father had made when the space travel industry started booming, and it made sense for his parents to hide him away from the world. As he looked down at the beach, like a bird looking out of a cage, he couldn’t help but feel trapped.  
  
He leaned his back against the smooth bark of the shady tree once more, his gaze turning down to the flowers beside him. Still, as sheltered as he was, stuck to read about places he wondered if he’d ever actually visit, he couldn’t help but love this little hill. It helped, of course, that it was at the very edge of their property, far from the eyes of the maids in the estate.  
  
But something about the cool, salty sea breeze wafting up and the beautiful plants around him seemed so freeing, almost magical. It felt, to him, like the one place where he could truly be at peace, free from any expectations or restraints. From here, the rest of the world didn’t seem quite so distant, he thought, watching the group that was playing volleyball head off to a nearby food stall. Maybe someday he’d be able move away. He didn’t need much. Even without backing from his father, he was sure he could find an apartment in the city, no matter how small it was, and make it his home. He’d carve out his own life, completely separate from the obligations that hounded him each and every day.  
  
He looked to the sky, watching as a ship slowly descended into Earth’s atmosphere, heading for the city of Kamogawa’s own spaceport, a longing sigh escaping his lips.  
  
Maybe aiming for the city was too simple. Maybe, if he truly wanted to escape all the baggage that surrounded him, he’d head to space. Sneak away, get a job in the city for a year, save up as much as he could and buy a ticket to...well, any planet other than this one. He’d go somewhere cheap at first, maybe head for a commercial space station and find work there.  
  
Perhaps, if he was feeling particularly bold, he’d head for Le Garite, one of the most highly-respected planets in the galaxy. He’d heard some of his family’s maids idly chatting about space travel from time to time, and almost every single one of them seemed to have their hearts set on visiting the lauded planet. He’d even caught himself daydreaming of everything they’d described: the gorgeous cities, the vast palaces, and the flowers one of the maids seemed so taken with, fawning over how cute she was sure she’d look if she could wear one in her hair.  
  
He smiled to himself, confident that, when he finally got away, he’d do everything he could to reach Le Garite. Maybe he’d even send a flower home for that maid. She’d always been one of the few happy faces around him, after all. He looked over to the patch of flowers near him, smiling wistfully.  
  
“Huh? When...when did that get there?” he asked curiously as he stared at the flower in the center. He was sure he’d never seen anything like that…  
  
It had five wide petals that narrowed at the tips, arranged in what was unmistakably a star shape. They were white at first glance, but as Itaru looked, he saw a subtle shade of blue almost shimmering as he shifted his view. Shining bright in the center of the flower was a golden bud, making it look even more starlike among the rest of the flowers next to him.  
  
“Is that…? No way…” He was sure he’d heard that maid describing a flower just like this on. A pale blue star that she’d boasted was “the height of elegance” in a tone that was anything but. Itaru stood up, walking towards the flower in awe.  
  
He was sure of it now. This had to be the Le Garite flower he’d heard so much about. But...what would he do with it? Would he pick it and keep it in his room as a something to work towards, a reminder of his dreams? Or maybe he could give it to that maid as a gift. He checked the flower over carefully, almost afraid to touch it. He leaned in as close as he possibly could, until the tip of his nose was practically touching the petals.  
  
“How’d it even get here? Did a tourist from Le Garite plant it here? No, they’d never be able to get here, the path up is all blocked off... Maybe it rode the breeze from the spaceport! I bet they’ve got all kinds of amazing flowers just like this there!” he yelled excitedly, “I know! I’ll leave it here and maybe more of them will grow! I’ll tend to it for the time being, and when more of them begin to bloom, I can give one to the maid! It’s better if I don’t keep it in my room, anyway. Dad would probably just throw it out.” Though such a thought would normally crush his mood, he couldn’t even begin to feel deflated. After all, to him, finding this flower was a sure sign that his world was expanding. Someday soon, he’d be able to explore the galaxy he so often found himself dreaming about.  
  
He leaned in close to the flower once more, admiring the golden shimmer of the bud in the center, before stiff sea breeze blew past. It suddenly seemed to explode, sending pollen straight down his throat, forcing him to cough wildly.  
  
It took a good minute for him to calm down, wiping the tears from his eyes while the last bit of scratchiness finally left his throat. Even so, he couldn’t help but laugh heartily.  
  
“Ahaha! Serves me right! That flower travelled all the way across the galaxy, after all. I should’ve been a little more delicate with it.”  
  
He stood up, placing his hands on his hips and smiling confidently. “Well, just you wait!” he said, talking as if the flower could hear him. “I’m gonna check up on you every single day. I’ll take such good care of you that you’d swear you were still in a palace garden on Le GaRI-” Suddenly, Itaru’s throat seized up, his voice cracking as he spoke. He quickly cleared his throat, then spoke up again.  
  
“A-anyway! Don’t worry about a thing, I’ll be sure to… Sure to…huh!?” He stopped himself as he noticed his voice climbing through the octaves, going from a higher-pitched, but still even, cadence to his final exclamation coming out as a high, almost breathless note of surprise.  
  
He cleared his throat, determined to rid himself of whatever had just come over him, but was dismayed by how much softer even that action sounded to him now, and spoke up once more, worried about what he would hear.  
  
“Testing...Wh-what the? Why...why’s my voice all funny?!” he asked, grasping at his now smooth, flat neck, his Adam’s apple nowhere to be found. “I...I sound younger? No...I didn’t sound like this as a child… Maybe...no, that can’t be possible, can it?” With every passing word he spoke, the truth seemed more and more obvious to him. No matter how improbable it was, there was no use denying it any further.  
  
“I...I sound like a girl?!” he cried out, before he suddenly felt a pressure building between his eyes, his sinuses tingling before he finally let out a sharp sneeze.  
  
As he did, his nose reshaped in front of his eyes, thinning out and turning up ever so slightly at the tip. His sinuses struggled to cope with the change, at first, forcing out constant, increasingly girlish sneezes that seemed to further shape his nose with each successive one. By the time it was done, it had shrunk down to an elegant, adorably small size and shape. A refined, upturned point replaced what had once been a dull and wide tip that punctuated his face.  
  
Once the tension in his sinuses finally eased up, he rubbed at his nose, trying to clear away any remaining pressure. It felt so much smaller to him. There was something deeply unfamiliar about it, but he hardly felt ready to confront that, so he did his best to deny anything was happening at all. “I’m...I’m just imagining things. I’ve had enough excitement for one day, haha...” he said, still hearing that same smooth, feminine voice, overtaken by worry. “I’ll head back to the house, maybe just get some sleep and come back here tomorrow. Nobody’ll notice anything different, because...because nothing’s really changed!” he shouted, trying to convince himself he was just daydreaming, before an intense pressure overtook his entire head.  
  
An odd wave passed through him, his light traces of facial hair vanishing with it as his face seemed to thin out and shrink down ever so slightly. His cheekbones rose to prominence while his cheeks themselves gained a slight hint of roundness and his chin narrowed down to a gentle, pointed curve. At the same time, his skin seemed to lighten, going from an already pale complexion to a soft, smooth milky white tone that gave the impression he’d never even seen daylight. Not that he noticed, though, as his eyes suddenly began to feel oddly numb. His vision blurred as they grew larger, angling themselves into a naturally passive, almost muted expression as a violet color slowly appeared around his pupil, spreading outwards slowly until it overtook his irises completely, leaving them sparkling like amethyst in the late afternoon sun. His eyes became surrounded by thick, luscious lashes, made all the more striking by the slight upturn at the top of his eyes, that stood in sharp contrast to his now thin, sharp eyebrows that, unbeknownst to him, had lightened to a pretty pale blue along with the hair on his head, though it was too short for him to notice even as his vision slowly returned to him. His mouth then began to shrink down while his lips filled out ever so slightly, making his worried expression look disarmingly cute. He pawed at his face lightly, feeling its now smooth contours beneath his fingertips, gasping at how soft it all felt and how much smaller it all seemed to be. Though he couldn’t see any of it, he now looked completely different from how he had just moments before. His face had become elegant, almost regal, bearing a dignified appearance he had entirely lacked. What was unmistakable, though, was how cute and womanly it was.  
  
“I’m...I’m changing? I’m somehow...becoming someone else?” he asked himself. Despite his questions, there was an odd sense of familiarity in the way his face now felt, though he wasn’t sure why or how.  
  
The tension he’d felt in his face then moved downwards, engulfing his shoulders, narrowing them as they curved softly, making his frame far less broad. “How...how is this happening?!” he cried, as he reached up to grab at his shoulders. “They’re all small! They’re meant to be broader than this! They’re...they’re usually bigger, right?” he asked, growing increasingly unsure of himself as he felt a gentle fog cloud his head. His face hadn’t really changed, had it? He was just dreaming. At least, he told himself as much. Besides, someone’s shoulders couldn’t just shrink down. He’d always had a fairly slight frame, he was sure of that. He was just scared about...something he couldn’t place his finger on, something that seemed important but also so far away.  
  
He lifted off his shirt, curious and certain that something was wrong with his body. Suddenly, he remembered. The mugginess he’d just felt lifted slightly as he watched his arms shrink down, becoming feminine, soft, and small. “I am changing! I-I dunno why I got all confused though…” he muttered, as his hands followed suit. His fingers thinned out as they grew longer, reaching a level of elegance that matched his face nicely, the nails growing out ever so slightly as they filed themselves into a feminine shape.  
  
“But...but what’s changing? My arms look fine...I think? My voice is...was something wrong with it?” he asked. He checked over his body once more, shocked as he saw how...bulky and broad most of it looked. “I-I need to go back to the house! Someone there can help me!” he cried out, looking out to where he was sure his home was, but...well, there was a house there. A big, almost palatial estate that looked like his, but something about it felt wrong to Itaru.  
  
“Where...where’s the house gone? That’s not where I live, is it?” For some reason, the house in the distance seemed so foreign, so off. There was no way he lived there, he was certain of that.  
  
“But where do I- Nnn...” Itaru winced slightly as he felt his stomach grow uneasy all of a sudden. He lightly put a hand over it, feeling as what little weight he had seemed to melt off of his body. In its place was a soft, flat, smooth tummy that only seemed cuter as his sides slowly caved in, leaving his waist thin and girlish. It curved outwards as it lead down to hips that slowly pushed out, filling with just enough weight to leave them looking round and huggable on his rapidly shrinking frame. The changes to his hips started to stretch the waistband of his already tight pants, forcing him to unbuckle them. As they fell to the floor, his face flushed red in embarrassment. “It...it was uncomfortable! I couldn’t just keep wearing those...men’s clothes?” he muttered, trying to justify his state of undress to himself before becoming confused. Why wouldn’t he wear male clothing? He was a man, wasn’t he?  
  
He nodded to himself, trying to reassure himself that that was the case. Confusion still wracked his mind, though, and it was suddenly joined by a mounting pressure in his chest.  
  
He cried out in shock as he cupped his pecs in his hands, his voice sounding even softer than he had just a moment ago. They felt...bigger than usual, growing increasingly soft and round beneath his palms. “B-breasts? I’m growing breasts?” he asked as his nipples puffed up slightly, turning pinker and cuter with each passing second while his breasts slowly grew outwards, stopping at a healthy, perky B-cup that suited the lithe elegance much of his body now possessed.  
  
He squeezed at them softly, letting out a loud, adorably embarrassed moan as they sent out a pleasant pulse that coursed through his being. “Jeez...why are they so...so sensitive? They weren’t always like this, were they? I...I guess I don’t normally play with m-my breasts, so I wouldn’t know…” he trailed off, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious. “But...huh? I...I’m not meant to have a chest like this! Only girls have breasts and I’m...I’m a guy? I think?”  
  
He thought about what was happening to him, how confused he felt, clutching at thoughts and memories that seemed to vanish as soon as he grasped them. But...that was OK, he felt. He wasn’t sure what anymore, but something was so wrong just minutes ago, and even if it was rather strange, his body was starting to feel more and more...well, it felt right. It felt like this is who he...no, this is who she really was.  
  
As soon as she had that thought, she felt a tickling sensation creep down her neck and run along her back, slowly moving down until it stopped just above her butt. Reaching behind her, she grabbed two fistfuls of her own hair, having now grown dramatically longer. Looking at the shiny, soft hair in her hands, she realized that, no, it had always been that long. The tickling only surprised her because of her current state of undress. Suddenly, her world started to spin for just a moment as she began to shrink down slightly. She put her hand against the trunk of the tree as her legs became shorter while her torso and arms shrunk to match. Her perspective shifted as she was brought just a little closer to ground. Once the dizziness faded, she looked back to her hand against the tree, then up to its lofty branches. She couldn’t quite place why, but something about this view just looked better than what she’d seen moments before.  
  
Her view snapped back down as she started to feel her legs begin to quiver, starting with her thighs and working down through her calves and feet. She quickly pulled down her pants and underwear, some part of her knowing she just had to see what was happening. Once they were off, she saw as her thighs slowly began to fill with a feminine fat, plumping up while the hair that was on them faded away, leaving her milky white skin on full display. Her butt filled up, too, rounding out and lifting up into a cute heart shape, though she couldn’t see how well it looked on her frame. Curiosity got the better of her, though, and she cupped her hands against her cheeks, giving them a firm squeeze, suddenly blushing bright red as she realized what she was doing.  
  
“I-I’m not doing anything improper! I...I was just curious, is all…” she started to protest, trying to cover up the feeling that what she’d done was perverted. She was so preoccupied, in fact, that she didn’t notice as the rest of her legs changed, her calves becoming tone and firm while her feet shrunk down, her toes lengthening just a little while the nails reshaped into a cute feminine cut, shining slightly in the sun. When she was finally done with her justifications, she looked down at her body, at how slender and appealing her legs were, and was overcome by the feeling that they perfectly matched he regality of the rest of her figure: slim, elegant, and graceful.  
  
While her sense of pride in her nimble body started to swell, she felt a heat spread throughout her genitals. He legs quivered once more as the heat filled deep inside of her stomach, changing the inside of her body to make room as her testicles slowly pulled up inside of her, reforming into ovaries as they settled deep within her. Her penis pulling close to her groin as the head shrunk down, changing slightly in shape until it was a small, cute clitoris, the rest of her shaft and scrotum forming into a slim, pink vagina, resetting prettily between her milky thighs. Though she certainly hadn’t thought anything was wrong with her body before, as she rested a hand on the smooth mound above her vagina, she couldn’t help but smiled slightly, knowing that something about it just felt right. She suddenly pulled her hand away, blushing once more, far more furiously than she had earlier.  
  
“I-I just felt a little chilly down there, is all! It’s breezy out here on this hill…” she muttered, suddenly noticing the clothes at her feet. “How strange…” she said, carefully prodding the pile with her foot, pulling it away with a blush when the pants shifted to reveal a pair of boy’s underwear. “W-why are some boy’s clothes out here? Whose are they?” She scanned around her, relieved to not find the owner. “Well, that doesn’t matter, I suppose. There’s little good they’ll do me anyway,” she said, giving one last scornful look to the discarded clothes. “They’re certainly not mine and, even as I am, I couldn’t just take someone else’s clothes...” she said, her voice slipping down to a measured, even tone with just the slightest hint of embarrassment, covering her body with her hands as best as she could. As she did, she looked down at the ground, her gaze meeting the flower that had released its pollen a few minutes earlier.  
  
“That’s...a flower from...Le Garite…?” the girl said, unsure of how she knew that, but enraptured by it all the same. Something told her it was of great importance to her, though she had no idea why. For as muddled as her thoughts had become, joined by fatigue slowly building up inside of her, she had vague memories of hearing that flowers such as these made for perfect accessories, that it’d look lovely if she wore it in her hair. Reaching down, she gently plucked it from where it stood, placing it in her hair, just above her left ear, the slightest smile forming on her face as she did so. Something about the flower made her feel good, but she felt oddly muted. She wasn’t the type to get terribly emotional, she didn’t think.  
  
She stood up straight once more, moving her hands back over her privates to help her maintain at least the slightest hint of modesty. She looked around her, surveying the area she found herself in. There was a large house in the distance, but something about it seemed cold and unfriendly to her. She needed to find some help, but she was certain that nothing good could come from there, especially not since she was technically trespassing on their property.  
  
Thankfully, even as she felt herself slowly growing more and more worn, it was easy enough to climb over the nearby fence overlooking the beach, feeling and odd sense of...relief, as she did so. Slowly and carefully, she walked down the hill, grateful that there was nobody else around, but hoping she’d find anyone who could lend a hand. The setting sun slowly darkening only increased the urgency she felt. She couldn’t spend the night like this, after all.  
  
Still, as she walked down the beach in the direction of the town’s lights, her steps gradually grew slower as she forced herself to keep going. “Can’t...can’t stop now…” she muttered, her eyes feeling heavier and heavier until finally she just fell over, tumbling straight down into the sand.  
  
“Hey!” she heard a feminine voice call out as her eyes began to close. “Hey you! Are you OK?! Are you…” The girl heard more shouts, but they rapidly grew less and less distinct. Soon, she felt a pair of arms scooping her up off the ground, her eyes briefly fluttering open to see a woman carrying her. She tried to thank her, but passed out before she could utter even a single word.  
  
~~~  
  
The girl’s eyes opened with a start as she felt something warm and wet against her hand. She pulled her hand towards her chest with a start, picking herself up and taking stock of her new surroundings. First, she noticed that she was in a soft, warm bed, with something big and comfortable right next to her beneath the covers. She then saw that, much to her relief, she was clothed, wearing a simple set of blue pajamas. Lastly, she looked down at where her hand had been to see a small, fluffy dog with its tongue hanging out, panting happily and barking at her with a sharp little “wan!”  
  
“You were licking me?” she asked, rather flatly, before asking herself, in a quieter voice, “Is that an Earth greeting…?”  
  
Lifting the covers off of her body, she sat upright, now seeing the big plush orca that had been placed in bed next to her. She picked it up, gave it a gentle squeeze, and placed it on her lap, petting it softly and smiling to herself. She wasn’t sure why, but something about it felt reassuring, like she was finally safe after escaping...something she couldn’t seem to remember. Still, her relief was palpable, and petting the plushie only made her feel even better.  
  
Suddenly, the door to the room opened up, and in stepped a woman who looked to be in her 20s. She was dressed in a sleek suit and had a rather annoyed look on her face, at least until she looked over at the new girl and grinned happily.  
  
“You’re awake!” she cried out. “I was worried about you! How are you feeling?”  
  
The girl didn’t answer, simply picking herself up off the bed and walking towards the older woman, grabbing at her hand and licking it gently.  
  
“H-hey! What the hell’s that for?!” the woman asked, annoyed yet again. All the smaller girl did in response was hold her hand up to her face like a paw, letting out a soft “Wan.”  
  
“Y-you can’t speak?” the woman asked, nervously.  
  
“I’m not sure why you’d believe I can’t speak. I was just greeting you,” the younger girl responded. Her voice was flat and even, without a hint of sarcasm to be found.  
  
“Well I’m not sure where you’re from, but uhh...we don’t do the hand-licking thing here, got it? Maybe if your partner’s into that sorta thing, I suppose…” she said, trailing off as her thoughts grew slightly more risque, leaving the blue-haired girl’s face slowly blushing bright red before she buried it in her hands.  
  
“M-My apologies!” she stammered out, “I’m not from this area so I’m unfamiliar with your customs, and-”  
  
“Hey, hey, don’t worry about it!” the woman said with a confident grin. “It was just a mistake, better you did that to me before someone else, anyway! I feel like we’re getting off on the wrong foot. I’m Youko, it’s nice to meet you!” She outstretched her hand, waiting for the girl to take it in response.  
  
She never did, however. She simply raised he hand up to her head and let out another “Wan.”  
  
Youko grimaced slightly, before muttering, “I’ll...I’ll just let that slide. It’s cute, anyway…” under her breath.  
  
“What was that?” the younger girl asked, curiously.  
  
“N-nothing! Anyway, what’s your name? I’ve gotta call you something!” Youko responded, quickly trying to change the subject.  
  
“I...I don’t seem to have one,” the girl muttered, her stoic expression seeming just a little sadder.  
  
“You don’t...have one?” Youko asked, confused.  
  
“I don’t remember if I have one, at least.”  
  
“Do you...do you remember where you’re from, maybe?”  
  
“I think...I think it was somewhere very... grand. An estate... with maids tending to me…” the girl answered, grasping at memories that barely seemed to be there at all.  
  
“You don’t have any other info?”  
  
“I don’t believe I do.”  
  
“Well,” Youko replied, digging into her handbag and pulling out a pale blue flower, “You had this on you. Does this jog your memory at all?”  
  
The girl stared at the flower, reaching above her ear and feeling that her accessory had indeed been taken off of her. She grabbed at it, before placing it back into her hair. A vague memory popped back up in her head as she did so. “Le Garite…” she muttered, quietly.  
  
“Come again?” Youko asked, not quite hearing her.  
  
“Le Garite. I...I believe I’m from Le Garite…” The girl couldn’t be sure of that, of course, but she felt like, if the flower was from Le Garite, and something told her it was, than she must be, too. Where else would she have gotten it from?  
  
“An estate with maids on...on Le Garite?” Youko asked, her voice sounding increasingly incredulous “Are you a princess or something?!”  
  
“I led a rather sheltered life…” the girl responded, unsure of what that meant for her.  
  
“Did you run away from home?” Youko asked, a deadly serious look on her face.  
  
“I...I’m not sure. Truth be told, I cannot remember much from before you found me on the beach.”  
  
“I haven’t heard of any runaways from Le Garite. Definitely not any princesses, for that matter…” she muttered under her breath, before putting her hands on her hips. “Well, look,” Youko responded, smiling warmly at the supposed alien, “I...I don’t know your story, and by the sounds of things, you don’t either. But I can’t turn my back on someone in trouble. So while you’re stuck, while you’re all confused, I’ll be your family, got it?”  
  
“My...my family?” the girl asked, her eyes slowly lighting up.  
  
“Yep! No matter how long it takes, I’m gonna watch out for you. You can live with me, here. You look young, so maybe I’ll enroll you in a local highschool if it comes to that.”  
  
“You’d do all of that for...for me?”  
  
“Haha, I know I’m a step down from the maids you’re used to, but it looks like you’ve had it pretty rough lately, so I’m gonna help you out. Oh, but first you need a name! I know a little about Le Garite culture, so coming up with a name for you shouldn’t be too hard…” She folded her arms together, tapping her foot against the floor as she thought something up. “Got it!” she said, triumphantly, “How about Laffinty? Regal enough for a girl like you?” she said, smiling cockily. “And if regality’s something you’re trying to escape, well, we can call you Lan for short. Sound good?”  
  
The girl smiled, tears starting to well up in her eyes. For as much as she didn’t seem to know, she knew she was a girl without much of anything. No name, no home, no past. But here she was, with the first person she’d seen, and it felt like none of those worries even mattered. She’d been given a home, she’d been given a family, she’d been given a name. For what felt like the first time ever, it felt like Lan was truly alive. She wrapped her arms around Youko, sobbing as she hugged her gently. “It sounds wonderful!” she cried out. “It’s my name, it’s...it’s me!” she continued, as Youko wrapped her arms around Lan in kind, though she wasn’t sure why the younger girl had suddenly grown so emotional.  
  
“Yep, it’s you,” Youko responded warmly. The two of them pulled away from the hug, smiling softly at each other.  
  
That was when Lan’s stomach started rumbling, the girl’s face turning bright red once again.  
  
“Ahaha! You must be hungry!”  
  
Lan’s face only grew redder in response.  
  
“Don’t worry about it! Who knows how long it’s been since you last ate? Want some pancakes? I’m a pretty decent cook, if I say so myself.”  
  
“I think I’d like that,” Lan said, still blushing.  
  
“Hey Princess, in this house we say ‘please’, got it?” Youko responded, still grinning.  
  
“P-please.”  
  
“Please what?”  
  
“Please may I have some food?” Lan asked, the poor girl not being given a second for her embarrassment to fade.  
  
“Haha! Good, good! See? You’re learning Earth customs already!” Youko said, ushering the girl through to her kitchen.  
  
After a few minutes consisting mostly of Youko making small talk that Lan struggled to really respond to, the two of them each had a hot stack of pancakes ready to go in front of them.  
  
Lan picked up her fork, thankfully remembering how cutlery worked, and started eating her pancakes, letting out a soft, contented sigh as she soaked in the rich, delicious flavors. “It’s very good, Youko,” she said, her usual stoic tone showing a hint of pure bliss.  
  
She struggled with her hair, however, the long strands slipping down in front of her as she leaned forward, drifting in front of her face and constantly threatening to wind up covered in syrup.  
  
“Want me to tie it up for you?” Youko asked.  
  
“Hmm?” Lan responded, not fully understanding the question.  
  
“Your hair. Seems to be getting in the way for you. I could probably do it up, give you a cute style to suit a princess like you.”  
  
“I-I’m not a princess…” Lan muttered. “But if you’d please assist me, I’d greatly appreciate it.”  
  
“Haha, you sure talk formally enough to be one!” Youko chuckled, stepping behind Lan and toying with her hair. “It’s quite long...but I can make this work,” she said, nodding confidently.  
  
In what felt like no time at all, she’d styled Lan’s hair into a cute, formal looking braid that circled the back of her head. It was looked short enough that Youko knew it wouldn’t be a problem for her, but still looked completely girlish and, coupled with Lan’s natural elegance, utterly beautiful.  
  
“There you go!” Youko said, directing Lan towards a nearby mirror. “Looks pretty cute, doesn’t it?”  
  
Lan’s eyes lit up once more. She couldn’t believe how well it suited her, her flower still tucked above her ear neatly, complimenting her new style wonderfully.  
  
“Thank you so much, Miss Youko!” she said, excitedly.  
  
“Haha, just Youko, got it? I’m not *that* much older than you.”  
  
“Well, thank you so much, Youko. It looks terrific.” She tried, poorly, to hide her excitement by speaking as calmly, but her giddiness was still painted all over her face.  
  
“Sure thing! Why don’t we finish up our food? I’ve got some clothes to give you afterwards that you can wear for the time being.”  
  
“That sounds wonderful, Youko.”  
  
They finished up their food quickly, Lan’s greatly improved mood showing even through her brief, almost monotonous responses to everything Youko asked her.  
  
Shortly after, they moved through to her room. Youko walking over towards what was now her closet and handed Lan an odd white and blue outfit.  
  
“It’s all I have in your size, but the color should suit you nicely. It’s a uniform from work, if you’re wondering why it looks the way it does.”  
  
“Lan couldn’t see anything wrong with it, at least not while it was folded up, so she simply thanked Youko, who stepped outside while she slipped her new clothes on.  
  
Her outfit was, by all standards, quite strange, but Lan hardly minded, simply assuming it was typical Earth garb. First, she slipped on the tight, white leotard, noticing, with a small hint of embarrassment, that she had no underwear, but trying to cast those thoughts aside. It looked almost like a swimsuit on her body, feeling nice and snug against her figure, however she found her face brightening yet again when she looked back at her butt, seeing just how much of it was showing in her new outfit.  
  
“It’s Earth culture, just Earth culture…” she muttered, calming herself down as she got to work on the rest of her outfit.  
  
She put on her thigh high boots next. They too, were tight and form-fitting, boasting the same sheer white color as her leotard, with just a few small black accents on the sides. They pinched against her thighs ever so slightly, making them look just a little more plump than they were. Still, it was comfortable, so she had next to no complaints.  
  
She then put on her new, odd blue jacket, noting that it had an odd insignia on the arm that she wasn’t familiar with, assuming it was just the logo from Youko’s workplace. It did little more than cover her neck and shoulders, but she felt like it made the outfit look just a bit more formal, and she greatly admired how well the blue went with the white of the rest of her outfit. There was also a set of long, detached sleeves that she slipped up her forearms, happily noting how they hugged them gently, adding to the formality the jacket provided.  
  
Lastly, she picked up a large, almost bulky belt. She wasn’t quite sure what it was for, seeming a little too big for her frame. She didn’t even have anything to really tie it around, either. Still, she assumed the outfit wasn’t complete without it, so she looped it around her waist, leaving it sitting loosely on her hips. She briefly admired herself in the mirror, nodding at how well it fit, how nicely it suited her. After a brief moment, she stepped outside the room, where Youko was waiting for her.  
  
She looked at the older woman, and greeted her once more, now that she was fully dressed.  
  
“Wan.”  
  
“Haha, yep, wan wan…” Youko muttered, slowly finding the odd girl’s greeting increasingly endearing. “That suits you, Lan! The belt’s not necessary, though, I must’ve slipped that in with your clothes without realizing.”  
  
“I like it,” Lan said bluntly, worried that taking it away would change how satisfied she was with the outfit as a whole.  
  
“Haha, OK then. If you’re happy, keep it! I’ll get you some new clothes soon, OK?”  
  
“Ah, thank you very much, Youko. I’m happy wearing this though.”  
  
“I know, I know, but it’ll be fun to pick up some new clothes, right? You and I can go shopping together.”  
  
“If you say it’s fun, I’m more than happy to try.” Lan said, her lips curling into a small smile, before walking up to Youko and giving her another, less tearful hug, which Youko immediately returned.  
  
“What’s up? Feeling OK, Lan?”  
  
“I’m feeling lovely, thank you. You’ve been so kind and...well...I’m...I’m very happy to be with you.”  
  
“Haha, I’m happy you’re with me too. I’m not used to having other people around, I’ll be honest, but we’ll make it work, no matter how long it takes.”  
  
Lan tightened her hug, the two of them feeling utterly at peace.  
  
~~~  
  
Weeks passed, and while Youko monitored the news as carefully as she could for any trace of a missing princess, or anyone from Le Garite, really, nothing came. She’d usually have been worried, but something about Lan just made her feel...calm. She was fun to have around, and though it hadn’t been long since they’d entered each other’s lives, Youko honestly wasn’t sure how she’d feel about living on her own again.  
  
Lan, for the most part, had gotten used to living with Youko on Earth. Though she still struggled greatly with the planet’s customs, often coming across as utterly clueless, she maintained a calm, gently upbeat attitude. She couldn’t imagine life without Youko, honestly, thanking her every single day for her tremendous show of kindness. After a little while, she started feeling less like a houseguest and more like a natural part of the family. Sure, it was just the two of them, but together, each and every day felt warm and loving, Lan’s missing memories feeling less worrying with every new one they created together.  
  
Though Youko’s search for missing Le Gariteans proved fruitless, she did come across one story that piqued her interest greatly. A boy from a house not far from where she’d found Lan vanished on that very same day. She told herself it wasn’t possible, that there was no way a human boy could somehow change so completely, especially not given how clueless Lan seemed to be about the Earth, but, then again, she didn’t seem to know much about the planet she claimed to be from, either…  
  
She chalked it up to her memory loss, not wanting a reason to lose her to a past that she no longer had anything to do with. Still, she felt selfish keeping what she knew from Lan, so she walked with her down that beach one day, to a point where the house was clearly visible, and told Lan what she knew.  
  
“That seems highly unlikely…” Lan said, staring at the sand beneath their feet in embarrassment.  
  
“I know. I know, but we don’t really have much to go on with your past, so I figured anything was worth a shot.”  
  
“I’ve never been a b-boy, Youko...I’m...I know I’m not as...well, you know...big…as you, but-”  
  
“Calm down, OK?” Youko said, hugging Lan warmly. “I love you, you know that? I know you’ve always been you, but, well, if this is where you came from, maybe it’s at least a nice chance to say goodbye to that for good.”  
  
Lan returned the hug, simply uttering an “OK” and letting go of Youko, turning and looking up at the house, a small part of her worried that it’d send a flood of memories she didn’t care to see rushing back.  
  
It didn’t, though. She stared at the house intently for a solid minute, before finally turning to face Youko once more with an utterly blank expression on her face. “Am I...supposed to see something?”  
  
“You don’t...you don’t think it’s your house?”  
  
“I don’t. It certainly doesn’t feel like home. I’m from Le Garite, Youko.”  
  
Youko let out a relieved sigh, though she still felt the need to ask her another question.  
  
“Lan?”  
  
“Yes, Youko?”  
  
“Does anywhere feel like home to you? Does anywhere feel like where you belong?”  
  
“Yes,” she responded, definitively.  
  
“Haha, c’mon, gimme a little more to work with than that!”  
  
“Well, I just found it a bit of a strange question, that’s all.”  
  
“Why’s that?”  
  
“Because home is...home is our house, isn’t it? Where you and I get to talk each and every day, where my orca plushie is. It’s where you made me pancakes, and where I sometimes try cooking for you, even if I’m clumsy. Home is where you gave me my clothes, a bed, a name, and...and a family. Home is wherever you are.”  
  
Youko scooped her up into another warm, tight hug, her heavy sobs dampening Lan’s jacket somewhat.  
  
Lan hugged her back, asking, “Are you feeling OK, Youko?”  
  
“Haha, it’s an Earth thing! We cry sometimes when we’re happy. You did on your first day with me!”  
  
“I suppose I did. It seemed strange at first, but...it was really nice…” Lan said, smiling gently.  
  
“That’s right, it was, and so is this.”  
  
The two of them hugged each other wordlessly for a moment, before Youko spoke up once more, wiping away the last of her tears. “Y’know, Lan?”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“I don’t think I want to search for where you came from anymore. Is that OK? I want you to live with me. We’ll be family forever, OK?”  
  
“That sounds good to me. I...I don’t want to leave you, Youko.”  
  
The two of them smiled at each other, warmly.  
  
“So,” Youko said, her smile turning into a confident grin. “If I haven’t said it until now, I figure this is a good time to do it…”  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
“Welcome home, Lan.”  
  
Lan stepped back out of the hug, her eyes blurry with tears. She put her hand up to the side of her face, her fingers curling down, and let out a soft, happy “Wan.”


End file.
